NJ Organizations Receiving $808K+ from the Delta Dental Foundation

On Aug 11, 2023

The Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation (DDNJ Foundation), the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of New Jersey (DDNJ), has announced that 20 organizations will receive more than $808,000 in grant funding to provide dental care and education to more than 13,000 uninsured and underinsured New Jerseyans.

The funding will reach nearly all 21 of New Jersey’s counties through a range of mini or major SMILE grants that will help renew or start programs addressing the dental workforce pipeline and maintaining the dental health of seniors, developmentally disabled adults and children, disadvantaged children, and veterans.

“For more than 37 years, a major focus of the DDNJ Foundation has been and continues to be helping improve the oral health of New Jersey residents,” said Dennis G. Wilson, president and CEO of DDNJ and vice president of the Delta Dental Foundation. “You can’t put a price on a healthy smile. These projects renew our oral care commitment to our communities and address the challenges they face head on.”

This year, the DDNJ Foundation is funding a special series of grants dedicated to establishing or expanding dental assisting programs and school-to-career programs for high school students in memory of Dr. Gene F. Napoliello, who served as the foundation’s longtime chairman.

Notable recipients include:

• Morristown Medical Center Foundation, which is receiving $120,000 to support dental care for approximately 750 underserved children, seniors, and those with developmental disabilities;
• Zufall Health, which will use its $65,000 to fund its annual 2-day Smiles for Our Heroes event for underserved veterans;
• Matheny School of Medicine, which will have $50,000 to provide specialized oral health care to 270 developmentally disabled individuals;
• And, Hope Christian Services, a new grant recipient that will receive $31,808 for dental equipment and supplies for intellectually and developmentally disabled populations.

Other organizations that will receive the additional $541,000 in grants include: Newark’s Central High School’s Dental Academy ($31,500); Paterson Public Schools Dental Clinic ($25,000); Zufall Health Center’s Dental Assistant Training Expansion ($60,000); KinderSmile Foundation’s Oral Health Centers and Dental Assisting Program ($135,000 ); Rutgers University Foundation’s VETSmile Program ($25,000); Brookdale Community College Foundation’s Dental Assisting and Dental Radiology Program ($25,000); Dental Lifeline Network’s NJ Donated Dental Services ($10,000); Matheny School and Hospital’s Dental Center ($50,000); Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation’s senior dental care program ($35,000); Virtua Health Foundation’s children’s dental care program ($25,000); JFK Medical Center Foundation’s senior or veterans’ dental care program ($35,000); and Overlook Foundation’s children’s dental care program ($66,510).

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